This invention relates to a handicap turn signal bar and particularly relates to a turn signal bar that converts a left-handed vertically actuated turn signal control lever into a right-handed turn signal control without significantly inhibiting actuation of the rotational accessory controls mounted in the left-handed turn signal lever.
In many automobiles, the turn signal controls consist of a turn signal lever extending radially from the steering column. The lever is vertically actuated in order to control the left hand and right hand turn signal lights. In order to convert a conventional automobile into an automobile which can be controlled by a paraplegic handicapped person, the foot controls in the conventional automobile are converted to hand controls. For example, the footpedal throttle is coupled to a throttle control rod that extends substantially parallel to the steering column of the car and terminates in a throttle and brake hand control mechanism. The foot brake pedal is also coupled to a brake control rod which extends to the throttle and brake hand control. By leveraged movement of a hand grip, the driver actuates the throttle foot pedal vis-a-vis the throttle control rod. By pushing the hand grip laterally downward parallel to the steering column, the driver brakes the automobile vis-a-vis the brake control rod. This throttle and brake hand control requires almost the continuous use of the left hand of the driver. Therefore, the driver has considerable difficulty in operating the left-handed turn signal lever on a conventional automobile unless he releases the throttle and brake hand control. This release of the brake and throttle hand control is unacceptable in many driving situations.
In order to make the left-handed turn signal lever control accessible to the right hand of a driver, a prior art device was devised that included a vertically oriented arm extending upward from the left-handed turn signal lever. One end of the arm was positioned proximate a portion of the steering wheel such that the right hand of the driver could steer the vehicle and actuate the turn signal lever via the vertical arm. The other end of the vertical arm terminated in a block having a hole therein through which extended the lever. To attach the prior art turn signal bar to the turn signal lever of the automobile, all the radially extensive mechanisms on the turn signal lever had to be removed such that the block could be slipped over the extensive end of the turn signal lever. A set screw extended into the hole of the block and frictionally engaged the lever to fix the vertical arm onto the turn signal lever.
When automobile manufacturers added additional controls for other accessories onto the extensive end of the turn signal lever, removal of those controls was not possible and the prior art turn signal became inoperable. These accessory controls include wiper controls which rotate about the longitudinal axis of the turn signal lever. The rotational movement from the wiper control knob is carried by a control rod to a complementary mechanism in the steering column. The prior art turn signal bar would not permit use of this accessory control notwithstanding the inability of the block of the bar to fit over the accessory control knob.